1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to the field of gases and packaging and using same. More specifically, the invention relates to increased stability, low concentration reactive gases, products including same, and methods of making same.
2. Related Art
Moisture is known to react with so-called “acid gases”, such as hydrogen sulfide, carbonylsulfide, carbondisulfide and mercaptans (mercaptans are also referred to as thiols) to form a complex compound. (The term “acid gas” is used herein to denote either gas phase, liquid phase, or mixture of gas and liquid phases, unless the phase is specifically mentioned.)
One problem presents itself: if one is interested in producing acid gas standard compositions, in other words acid gases having a known concentration of one of these gases in a matrix or carrier fluid, then one must consider how to reduce or remove the moisture. Gas standards may have to have, and preferably do have, a long shelf life, since the standard acid gas may not be required immediately after production. A source of acid gas and/or matrix gas may contain a considerable amount of moisture. Therefore, the reduction or removal of moisture from the acid gas is of primary importance if the stability of the acid gas in the standard gas is to be maintained.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,255,445 and 5,480,677 describe processes for drying and passivating a metal surface to enhance the stability of gas mixtures containing one or more gaseous hydrides in low concentrations in contact therewith. The process comprises purging gas in contact with the metal surface with inert gas to remove the purged gas, exposing the metal surface to an amount of a gaseous passivating or drying agent comprising an effective amount of a gaseous hydride of silicon, germanium, tin or lead and for a time sufficient to passivate the metal surface, and purging the gaseous passivating agent using inert gas. Optionally, an oxidizing agent is applied after the third step to stabilize the adsorbed stabilizing agent. The patent also mentions prior known processes, such as saturation passivation, where the container is subjected to several cycles of evacuating and filling with a much higher concentration of the same gaseous hydride, prior to being filled with the low concentration hydride mixture of interest. The two patents do not mention or describe processes to passivate containers adapted to store sulfur-containing gases, nor do they mention passivation techniques in which a first passivating agent is applied to the surface, followed by contacting with a higher concentration of the gas to be stored.
Application Ser. No. 10/157,467, filed on May 29, 2002, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,852 (serie 5718) describes the use of certain acid gas resistant molecular sieves to reduce or remove moisture from fluid compositions comprising a sulfur-containing compound. There is no disclosure or suggestion, however, for the passivation of containers adapted to contain the moisture-reduced compositions. Such containers may have moisture adhered to the internal surfaces, which can and does react with acid gases, reducing their stability and shelf-life.
Given the problem of moisture reacting with acid gases and reactive gases in general, it would be advantageous if passivation methods could be provided which increase the shelf-life during the storage of these compounds.